Friday

Marblehead’s Little Free Pantry, started by the Rosato family of Marblehead, celebrated its one-year anniversary this past August.

For Samantha Rosato, her husband John, and children Gianni, Leonardo and Matteo, the project began as a way to do something positive for those in need.

“I felt compelled to try to make a difference in my community—to make it better and easier for people to help each other," Samantha said. "A friend, Andi Oberlander, shared a video about a Little Free Pantry on Facebook in 2016, and I knew that this was something that our family could take on.”

The Little Free Pantry is a small outdoor cabinet located at the Marblehead Community Charter School, 17 Lime St., next to the book donation bin. It contains donated food items, free for the taking, for anyone who needs them and it's open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Samantha said the project took about a year to execute from idea to reality and came about with the help and support of the Marblehead Community Charter School and the Marblehead Food Pantry. The Little Free Pantry, currently the only one in Marblehead, officially opened August 4, 2017.

And every person in the Rosato family has contributed to the success of the pantry. John and the children built the pantry and Bob Erbetta, who works at the Charter Schoo,l helped to put it up. Gianni designed and built a local website for the pantry and all three boys handed out flyers in their neighborhood to spread the word. The brothers also collected food donations outside of Crosby’s on the one-year anniversary of the Pantry, and helped stock and organize the shelves. Samantha said she stops by every week to make sure the pantry is stocked and in order.

“The community has been fantastic," she said. "People are always adding items, I’ve never once found it completely empty.”

Samantha is very grateful for the advice and support from Janet Parker of the Marblehead Food Pantry (located at the Star of the Sea Community Center, Atlantic Ave). According to Samantha, the Little Free Pantry serves a unique need, separate from the Marblehead Food Pantry, since it is unstaffed and open all the time.

“It’s helpful for people who cannot get to the Marblehead Food Pantry during operating hours, or perhaps for someone who is just having a hard time making ends meet for a short period, even just one week, and wants to remain anonymous,” she said.

As winter approaches, dry goods are the most needed items. Cans and liquids can freeze and explode during the winter; if any are donated during the cold months, they are brought to the Marblehead Food Pantry. Pasta, rice, coffee, dried fruit, tea, dry beans, cereal, granola and breakfast bars, spices, potato mixes, muffin and cake mix, ramen noodles, oatmeal, crackers, gluten-free items, bouillon cubes, dry pet kibble and treats, personal care items (soap, toothbrushes, etc.) and holiday and specialty items are all appropriate items for donation. Even donations of just one item make a big difference.

“Every single item makes a difference for someone,” Samantha said.

Donating or helping is simple, just show up at 17 Lime Street and look for the pantry on the outside of the building (left-side) near the book donation bin. Samantha said it's helpful if donators who have a few minutes could check expiration dates and throw away expired food, clean off any snow and ensure the cabinet door is latched when leaving.

Anyone interested in learning more about Marblehead’s Little Free Pantry should visit https://littlefreepantrymhd.weebly.com. You can also follow Marblehead’s Little Free Pantry on Instagram and Facebook. To donate food, simply stop by the pantry at any time. The doors are always open.

Know someone that should be a hometown hero? Email us at marblehead@wickedlocal.com and tell us their story. Be sure and put Hometown Hero in the subject line.